Background: After 14 years of civil war and two rounds of democratic elections, Liberia is working to reduce child abuse and exploitation. Young children's perceptions on protection and risk are rarely elicited to inform program planning and intervention. Objective: The aim of the present study was to explore young children's perceptions of child…

In the 2007-2008 academic year, with an emphasis on three of the nine "Essentials" of a Professional Development School as delineated in NAPDS'policy statement, "What It Means to Be a Professional Development School,"the shared supervision model between a public college in the northeasternUnited States and a public school…

The promulgation of the South African Schools Act in 1996 was a critical moment in the process of making a compromise between a centralized and a decentralized system. The act describes the establishment, membership, and responsibilities of school governing bodies as the vehicle for parental engagement and decision making. The article touches on…

Ryan and colleagues are applauded for elevating client factors in the form of motivation and autonomy to equal status with the alliance as common factors in psychotherapy. Next, client motivation and autonomy are explained to be inextricably linked with one promoting the other. Motivational methods are summarized for the major approaches, making…

Spelling proficiency is crucial to young students' feelings of success and an important part of overall literacy. In fact, poor performance in spelling often reduces motivation for general literacy. Unfortunately, spelling instruction is often inconsistent in elementary schools. Using Achievement Goal Theory, the authors describe how students'…

Case study pedagogy is a teaching strategy in which teachers hope to help students develop and use critical thinking (CT) abilities. This study compared CT skills of 75 second year generic accelerated baccalaureate nursing students during their Fundamentals of Nursing course before and after being educated using case study pedagogical method.…

This phenomenological study examined the spiritual experiences of Christian school leaders who are the spiritual leaders of their schools. A purposeful, nominated sample of 12 Christian school leaders was selected. In-depth, open-ended interviews were conducted, audio taped, and then transcribed verbatim. Data analysis was based on Rudestam and…

Purpose: This study examines policies set in the collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) negotiated between teachers' unions and school boards and explores what kinds of districts have contract provisions that restrict district administrators, enhance administrative flexibility, and/or improve teachers' professional work lives and that have…

An Indianapolis-based nonprofit organization has crafted a sweeping plan for reworking the 33,000-student Indianapolis school system that would place the district under the control of the city's mayor, pare down the money spent in central administration, and give principals broad authority to hire and fire teachers. The reform plan created by the…

Today, more than ever, teachers must work effectively and efficiently to meet seemingly contradictory demands placed on them by society. On the one hand, school personnel are tasked with attaining and publicly reporting high levels of student achievement in response to No Child Left Behind. On the other, school personnel must ensure that students…

Dramatic shifts in early childhood policy in the US are increasing the bureaucratic nature of early childhood programs and influencing the field's definition of professionalism. Despite the many benefits of professionalizing the child care field, the current trend toward formalization and standardization may have unintended negative consequences…

Despite the lack of evidence supporting the direct effects of shared leadership on student achievement, there is evidence that shared leadership may have very positive effects on school culture variables that, in turn, affect student achievement. These indirect effects are sufficient to make shared decision making a worthwhile school reform…

This study focused on the collaborative structure-building behavior of school principals and examined how such behavior affects teacher empowerment. More important, it tested the mediating effects of participative management and learning culture. By collecting nested data from 104 schools in Hong Kong and adopting multilevel structural equation…

Each issue of this annual newsletter focuses on a particular area of Kettering's research. The 2015 issue focuses on a yearlong review of Kettering's research over time. This issue contains the following articles that address this review: (1) How Kettering Discovered Democracy (David Mathews); (2) Key Events in KF History (Collette McDonough); (3)…

Globalization and liberalization in the business environment have changed the requirements of types and qualities of human capital needed by the corporate sector. In relation to this, business graduates not only need to have theoretical understanding, but they also need to have creative thinking, communication skills and decision making skills…